Into Hiding
by professor.bat
Summary: Family, friends, all in perial and hiding is the only way to keep them safe but will she be safe from our resident potions master? sshg
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1 **

The moon was glittering across the lake at the Snape's family manor, but truth be told there was only one family member left and even he did not want to spend his waking, or sleeping moments there. The only things that lay dormant there were house elves and evil things that are not nice to describe. But wind blew through out the manor and a clomping of footsteps was heard as the house elves scrambled to attention to the only master that they had who was Severus Snape. Time had lay heavy on his heart for the past sixteen years, and it never got any easier to return to this "home" if you could call it that. Most of his time was spent doing missions for Dumbledore or writing up school lessons. But now he didn't even have that for a bossy little know it all had been assigned to him for him to look after. He would never have requested this and certainly did not agree to it lightly, but if Dumbledore had found another way or reason to put her with someone else for safety then he would have asked them or put her there. But sure enough he hadn't and he had to be stuck with the bossy little know it all, alone for the next six weeks and that didn't change his mood at all.

"Move out of my way!" bellowed Severus Snape across the manor as the little figurines of elves ran out of his way and fell over themselves to get away and hide.

"Professor." began a straight haired, grown up, young, woman from the doorway. "Do you really think that was necessary? I mean these creatures have been alone for the last… I do not know, how many years and the only way you can great them is by telling them to "Move out of my way"?"

"Don't push me Granger." he said and could feel his temper rising. Just because he'd been given the job to shelter this girl, didn't mean he had to be nice to her.

"Just because I'm younger than you sir doesn't mean you can treat me with the disrespect you did at school. I am a respectable young adult and am only here for fear of my life and my relatives, including my parents. So please, do not use that tone with me." she said with authority in her voice and power in her eyes.

"What are you talking about Granger? What tone?" he said with a puzzled look on his face.

"That tone and you know and have known for the past eleven years. So call me Hermione. How ever much it may pain you to do so, everyone I know calls me Hermione and I want it kept that way." she said and sighed.

"Well with that out of the way. Not a bad place." she said looking around quizzically at her surroundings.

"I'm sorry but I think you hit your head on one of the fireplaces on the way here because this is not a good, passable, living space." he spat and twirled his robe behind him as he glided across the floor to the next room, out of the space of the pitiless, black, dusty, mouldy excuse for an entrance hall.

"Excuse me?" she said with a, I-can-not-believe-that-man look plastered all over her face.

"You heard me." he said and turned round before he could enter into the next room and shut the doors leaving her helpless. "Now, your room is up stair on the second floor if you need anything my room is the second one down and I shall be up there at 2o'clock. Anything else Miss Granger?" He said with one eyebrow raised in a manner to say, I have better things to be doing with my time then spend it here playing nursemaid to a little girl like you.

"No, just..." she started but couldn't finish.

"What?" he glared.

"Just, thank you. It means a lot that you're letting me stay here." she said and floated her trunk up the stairs leaving a gob smacked Potions Professor behind.

"You're welcome." he whispered to himself as he, made his way to his secret room in the house.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

She Looked around to the ceiling the floor the walls, anywhere than the place she knew she'd have to go. What was behind that door she didn't know, but she knew that she'd soon have to find out. Trying to make the time to venture into the unknown a little longer to ease her pain, but no matter how long she took, it was inevitable that she have to be the one to find out. She hadn't wanted to come here, she had wanted to stay home or go to work, but eleven years of being friends with a boy with remarkable courage and strength that no one could even try to begin to comprehend, it change the life that you were to have. The life that you would grow up to lead, to live it. It also changed how long you had to do those things you always wanted to do. It changed the way you were to people. It changed you. But to tell the truth, she would never, and I mean never, change what choices she made because the experiences she had, the adventures she completed as a teenager. They helped her to understand that out there is a world out there, bigger and nastier than she could ever be (which wasn't anything at all to be honest). They befriended her no questions asked; they taught her things that if she had been on her own she would never have even begun to comprehend. They showed her they real person that she was.

But all that is behind heart the present time and now, all she ahs to do is open a door. The old, black, dusty, cobweb-covered door and sleep there for, who knows how long. All the things she had done had been much worse than this; so why couldn't she open the door? The answer being was that this house belonged to a nasty stuck up tight ass, which had lived alone most of his life, with a tormented childhood and no family to speak of. Unless you count the terrified children he teaches every year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Meaning that anything could lie behind that door and unexpectedly try to suck her brains out, in a fashion. Time had been over for that and it was time to look beyond the factors of the evilness that lay behind the door or my lie behind the door and go in to kick its ass. If it even has an ass to kick. But she just couldn't bring herself to do it. Miss Hermione Jane Granger terrified of a room. Wouldn't her friends and colleges love to hear that? That the know-it-all Granger couldn't open a stupid door. Hum, I don't think she's gonna lose that easily. She may have had her ups and downs but she can open one stupid door, right?

"That's it!" She said firmly to herself. "Just open the door. It's not like it's got a powerful killing curse on it Hermione."

She looked at the hand that was approaching the dusty brass doorknob to see that it was shaking. She put her other hand on it and turned away from the door.

"Get it together Hermione." She said and turned back to the door. But before she could bring herself back to open the forsaken wooden object a tall, black haired man came up behind her smirking.

She stopped as soon as she felt his breath on her neck. She spun around at this and gave him a glare that could kill.

"What is the matter "Hermione"? Can't open a door? Here, let me make it easy for you. All you have to door is put your frail hands onto this brass thing here and twist, pushing the door open as you do so." He smirked with an evil round one to him grin on his face.

"Thank you sir. I just couldn't juggle my luggage that was all." She said going a little red in anger from this.

"Like I said, I'll be in my room two doors down if you need anything. Goodbye." He said as his black, floor length robes billowed behind him.

"All you have to do is twist the brass doorknob here Hermione." She said mimicking to herself as she entered the room. "What's the matter Hermione can't open a door? I'll give him bloody open a door in a minute, oh god. I'm talking like Ron. I really guess they both changed me, in a way. What a nice discovery that is to add to the list of experiences and lessons I've had today. How brilliant this has really turned out to be."

She pulled in her suitcase and placed it down beside her before she took a look at her new sleeping quarters. Did she get a shook or what? As she looked up she saw a chandelier hanging delicately above her, a four-poster bed with silver and gold drapes. Lamp shades of green and white with black walls with a silver boarder at the top, gold in the middle and green at the bottom. There were black curtains with gold lining at the bottom and the silver at the top. There were a few cabinets against the walls and a walk in wardrobe full of robes and dresses that to her, looked brand new. She also had a feeling that they belonged to her. That they were bought for her, but who would buy such exquisite robes and dresses for her? The only other person that lives in the house, well mansion was Professor Severus Snape. He had said earlier to her that if she had any problems to go and ask him. She definitely believed this to be a problem, but of the good kind and she wanted to know out of curiosity. Well, she will definitely find out after she unpacked. After she had settled into the place that she would call home for the next, I don't know how many day, weeks, months or even… years.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 

"Professor…" came a voice from the end of the large, black, silver edged wooden table.

"Yes?" a cold-hearted reply came from the other end.

"Well, I was just wondering, the clothes in the wardrobe upstairs in the room I'm staying in." She said playing around with her food.

"What about them?" he said as he placed his knife and fork down next to his plate after touching the sides of his mouth clean.

"Well, I was just wondering… I mean… Well, who do they belong to sir?" She said finally, hiding her face down towards her plate as she continued to push her food around, pretending to be doing something.

"Well I knew you were muggle born but I didn't think even they had as bad as brain as you do. Hermione, they are brand new and are in your sizes who else do you expect them to belong to? The boogie wizard?" he said coldly as he took a small sip of his wine from the goblet in his hand.

"Well, um…sir if you somehow know something about them then you will be able to to tell me this." She started.

Here we go again, he thought to himself.

"Yes what is it?"

"Who bought them and why have I got them?" She said staring at him for any sign of a clue.

"I did." He said as he cut a piece of meat off and placed it into his mouth, chewing as he thought.

"Why?" she asked, completely baffled.

"Because you are coming to Hogwarts with me this year and are working with me. You will need new robes and dresses to look presentable there. I do not want an assistant that looks scruffy and muggle like."

"Well, um… I guess thank you Professor, but you needn't have done that. I'm sure my clothes would have been fine. I have presentable teaching clothes. You did not have to go to the trouble. At least let me pay for them." She replied.

"Yes it was necessary, no your clothes won't do and no you are not paying for them." He said as he placed his knife and fork down again.

"But sir I can ha—"

"Not buts about it Miss Granger, I bought them for you, you are not paying me back and that is final!" he said with a firm yet consulting tone.

"Fine, and sir, my name is Hermione. And thank you again."

"Well, Hermione if you don't mind I believe I am done here and wish to turn in. So if you don't mind I bid you goodnight." He spoke quickly and sharply as he got up from his seat at the other end of the table bidding Hermione goodnight.

"Goodnight sir." She whispered to him so only she could hear.

"Why am I doing this? I can't even think of a reason I am having these thoughts about her." He spoke to himself trying to assess the situation at hand. Why was he doing these things for her when a few hours ago he loathed her entirely?

He placed his foot at the top stair and stopped dead in his tracks. There wasn't anything to worry about because he wasn't having any feelings about anything, or anyone. He wasn't supposed to be happy because he was the coldest, evilest, potions master in the world. But just because he was like that on top doesn't mean that he can't love, or that he doesn't. He shook his head vigorously and continued on his lonely way to his bedroom when he was stopped by a soft and loving voice behind him.

"Professor wait." She said as she pulled herself up the stairs with one hand and the other on her deep purple, mesmerising dress, lifting it up a little so she could make her way up the stairs.

He turned around and looked at her. She was stunning, the dress hung delicately in all the right places, clinging to her to show her beautiful small frame in front of him.

He choked a little before replying. "Yes?" he said with his eyebrows raised.

"I may be a little wrong in doing this but I have to know in case anything happens to either of us which it is likely to, with everything that is going on around us." She said as she advanced towards him with a loving smile across her soft crimson lips.

"What is it Hermione?" He said to her breathing a little faster, shorter trying to grasp for the vital air he knew he needed to keep his brain working, as she was so close to him, closer than anyone had been to him in his life.

"This." She said and leaned forward. Their lips had barely touched when her hands could be found hanging on his shoulders sneaking round behind his neck.

He had been completely spun by this but he couldn't say that he didn't want it. He had never felt so close to anyone before in all his life. A few moments and the firmness of her lips against his told him that she wasn't going to back off soon. He could feel an explosion curse through his body and it was a good one. He felt so far away from her but in reality only another step and their bodies would touch. If he made that movement towards her what would she do? "Oh to hell with it." He could hear himself say as his hand came up from his body and brush a piece of hair from her face before placing it down on her cheek. His other hand slipped round behind her and landed on her lower back as he pulled her yet closer to him. The feeling of her crimson lips pressed against his was a feeling he thought he would never get in his life. He felt her body pressed up against his and he liked it, he longed for more, but now that he had it he knew that it was wrong and that he shouldn't be doing it, she had been his student for Merlin's sake. He pulled away from her and held her arms out in front of him. Their breaths short and raspy, he could feel her chest moving up and down against his also feeling his doing the same as they regained their breath. He looked at her with a puzzled sorry look on his pale heart warmed face and abruptly left her without an explanation, leaving one heart broken beautiful woman on the top of the marble staircase.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 

"Would master like anything? We are here to serve master." Said one of the rather grubby looking house elves.

"Just go away all of you. I don't need anything!" he shouted and threw his glass of water across the floor, leaving shatter pieces of sparkling glass all over the floor.

Suddenly a thought came into his head, "Wait," They all suddenly turned on their heels with gleaming bright happy faces.

"Yes master?" they said all eager to help.

"Take this letter up to Miss Granger's room" He said as he pulled out his wand and began to write onto some parchment he found.

He scribbled for a few minutes, not really sure of what he was writing but they had to talk sometime this side of Christmas. Even if it would be awkward and difficult with his heart beating fast and his breathing increasing at an alarming rate as she would take the same long drawn out steps in that beautiful deep purple dress she was wearing that night as she leaned in to-

"No." he said firmly to himself. He wasn't going to let it happen. He couldn't, she had been one of his star pupils at Hogwarts especially at NEWT level. But he had never let her know that and never would because that was all in the past now as was the kiss they had shared three evenings ago. They both still had many evenings and days to go before the start of term so, they could both get lost in work and the Order.

He shook the thoughts from his head and scribbled the last bit of the letter on the parchment and threw it to the house elf that was beaming up to him but stopped and shook all over as soon as his menacing glare hit him.

"Well?" he said with his eyebrows raised. "What are you waiting for? Get going!" he spat coldly.

They all scrambled out of the creature's way as he rushed upstairs to the room Miss Hermione Granger was in, no doubt thinking about what had happened that night.

She hadn't been down to dinner at all the past three days and had had her food brought up to her new found residence so she could stay out of the slime ball's way. She didn't know what had come over her that night. All she knew was that she had to speak to him. She had to know how he felt, but on the surface she snorted to herself, feelings? What feelings would that be? The ones in which if he could, call her a Mudblood every time he spoke to her. That feeling was hate, below hate, complete and utter loathing. Not love or caring. What was she on about! Professor Severus Snape didn't love. He didn't have any feelings in him what so ever! He was the coldest, evilest, cruellest, most patronising git this magical world has ever seen. But if so them why did she love him? Love him! She didn't love him did she?

She was so confused that she picked up the glass goblet next to her and threw it against the door in anger. She picked up her plate and launched it against the wall next to her. Food trickling down the black walls as she did so. She had so much hurt in her right now all she wanted was to be gone. Gone from this hellhole and back into the real world, the magical world where she could see al her friends if they weren't dead already. A tear rolled down her cheek at that thought. What had she done these past years? She had let Voldemort control her entire life to the point that she started to believe she was in love with her previous Potions Master. At this thought with more tears falling over the brim of her eyes she picked up the tray that all the food had previously been on and chucked it at the door. She collapsed against the wall behind her. Her legs snaking up to her chin and her hands creeping around them as she buried her head in her lap tears leaking from their holes as the door swung open revealing the shadowy figure of a worried, scared Potions Master as the door.

"Hermione." He gasped as he rushed over to her. Scared for her safety because he knew it would have been his fault if anything had happened to her.

"Hermione! Are you okay? What happened? Are they here?" He said rather fast. Taking breathes in between questions.

He bent down to her with a scared look he had never had on his face before. He was worried for her safety, for her well being. Was she okay? What had happened to her? His face turned graver as he heard small sobs come from the curled up ball against the wall. He bent lower and was almost sat on the floor as he placed his hand on hers trying to give her some comfort. He had no idea what went on a few moments ago. He heard the noise and crashing coming from her room and thought the worst. That Voldemort had found her and killed her. But she was okay from what he could tell, just very shaken up and more beautiful than ever. He told himself to stop as soon as the thought had crept into his mind for this certainly was not the time or place that he should have these feelings. Not when she needed help and comfort.

As soon as she felt his hand upon her she torn hers away and moved further away from him, staring up at him with tear stained cheeks.

"Don't you ever touch me again." She spoke with hate in her voice. How could he do that when it was him who had made her feel this way, torn and broken inside? He had left her to feel ashamed embarrassed and filthy. How could he act this way to her now?

"Hermione, it's me Severus" He said with pleading eyes as he made his way closer to the shaking heap upon the floor.

"I'm not going to hurt you. They can't hurt you anymore I'm here now. You're safe. Just tell me what happened." He said in a soft tone that he had never used with anyone before.

"They can't hurt me? What are you talking about you silly fool. No one else hurt me apart from you." She spat at him.

He was now on his knees and a look of complete and utter shock was forming on his now soft expressional face, "I haven't done anything. I heard all the noise and it sounded like a struggle. I thought the Dark Lord had found you and hurt you. I thought he had killed you. I was worried and scared for your safety."

"Scared were you?" she said menacingly. "Scared because you thought you arse was on the line. Scared because you thought you were going to get in trouble for letting me get hurt?" She spat and got up shaking with anger and grief.

"Scared because you never really wanted this job of babysitting me in the first place and people would think that you handed me to him on a silver platter? Scared because they would throw you back to Voldemort and let him end your pitiful excuse for a miserable existence?" she said with venom apparent in her voice added with pain and hate towards the man in front of her in her eyes.

He backed away from her as he felt her words sink through him. Deep into his soul he felt them go through him. No one had ever got to him the way she got to him. Lately, just the things she would say- or didn't say- would hurt him more than anything in the world did. And this, well, it topped the whole thing. Worse than a knife going through you seventeen times. Worse than… dare he say it… dying.

He trembled as he got up from looking at her from the floor. Trembling as he tried to get these words he had in his so-called pitiful excuse for a miserable existence out.

"Scared… because I loved you." He said as he could feel a tear close to the edge of his eyes. Hurt showing in his body as he shook from the pain.

He gave her one more look of hurt inside him brushed past her slamming the door behind him.

She stood there and all of the anger and hate towards him just slipped away. The only thing she could feel now was guilt. Guilty and upset because she had got the wrong end of the wand. As per usual she judged the situation before thoroughly researching the topic. What! This is Hermione Granger we are talking about, the world bound walking, talking textbook of all the magic and relationship, friendship problems of the world. But this looked like where her intelligence ended. When it involved her and her feelings it looked like she was no better than anybody else was. She was normal.

Severus Snape, Potions Master and head of Slytherin house stormed back to his room breaking every lamp and light that happened to come near him. Chandeliers exploded as he passed from feeling the power of grief and anger that he had built up inside him. Trying to keep his feelings bottled up as he always did. Not showing how he really felt. Hiding away from the world pretending he didn't exist but the shattered remains of light along the wooden floor and runs in the curtains showed that he wasn't doing a very good job of being the old selfish, no hearted, self-centred creep that everyone had come to know and hate. The ex-death eater of the messed up world he had come to belong in was changing and he didn't like it. The change that had happened to him was causing more and more pain to be injected into his soul, which hadn't been touched in the last twenty years. And now, even after teaching the Mudblood which used to make his blood boil which only now of late seems to drain it from his lifeless corpse. Seems to leave him a hollow mockery of the human species. Now caught between worlds of whom he is and who he could be. Stuck from being in love or being alone and depressed.

The door swung open in front of him at an alarming speed. The paint on the wall flaking as the maniac door collided with the wall next to it. The house that belonged to him seemed as though it was obeying its master and his emotions all over the house. Most reactive in the area he was in or going to. Following him like a hawk. Most of the building on the second floor was destructed now and being rebuilt by the house elves. Scurrying around trying not to get in the way of others that were falling over the debris all across the floor, from shattered glass to splintered wood.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 

Weeks were spent alone in hell away from each other as the dust still hadn't settled from their last disagreement or misunderstanding that had occurred over month ago. Bitterness clouded the air in most of the building and could be felt where ever the perpetrator went or was close to. His feelings still fuming but the breaking of objects near to him had surpassed so he banging that echoed so loudly through the rooms of the house. His temper had been quashed for the fact that she had thought he could be worried or scared for himself about her still didn't change the feelings that he had inside of him. But knowing that she could still think of him as the evil glaring heartless old man that everyone had come to know and hate at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The only other person that knew he was an actual person, that he had actual feelings and that he was capable of loving another fully and indefinitely was Dumbledore. He had an incline in the back of his brain that McGonagall knew about it because they were always talking and she was always sighing disappointedly in his direction. So he knew that it had to be about him because she would never need to use that tone while talking about anyone else. No one else was as lonely as he was, was as empty as he was, was as alone as he was.

Hermione was alone in her temporary bedroom with her trunk placed on her bed. She had had enough of it; having the feeling she had needed her whole life stripped away from her selfishness. From her book-developed tactics, she had lost everything. Everything that mattered to her and she had never known upon that moment he had so quickly left the table that evening at dinner. She shook the thought from her head and sat on the edge of her bed. Feeling as empty and alone as Severus Snape had for the past twenty years and more of his life. But she had no idea of his feelings. The feelings that still lived inside of him this very moment. She couldn't bear to go to confirm her suspicions that he hated her because she couldn't bear to feel the rejection that she had undoubtedly felt all of her life. But coming from him it would be worse than any comment, snide remark, cruel intention she had ever been on the other end of because she really felt for him, more than he could ever know. But knowing that it was her stupid behaviour and snappy judgement just sunk the realisation deeper for her. She had thrown away the only piece of true happiness she could have had in her last years of living. Undoubtedly the reason of her death would be Voldemort. She knew that he would be the end of her ever since she had made contact with Harry. She knew that being his friend would cost her her life. But even with that fact resting upon her thoughts she would never ever have changed anything she had done with him. She loved him more than words could say. He was her family. But hr love for Harry, Ron, Ginny, everyone else that she knew and was close to, it was completely different to the love she had in her heart for the Potions Master of Hogwarts. She loved him more than anything in her life but she knew now that after her actions that he could never love her. Hadn't he said in the last words to her that he had LOVED her? Loved was the past tense and she knew that any feelings he had for her were gone after what she had done. She had just proved to him that she thought of him as the same as everyone else did an empty, hollow mockery of the human species. An evil soul sucking freak that could have no feelings only one for himself. She had just proved that she took hearsay for facts. Seeing as she was such an insufferable-know-it-all it all seemed to fit into place. Having the one piece of evidence that he was real, that he had real feelings that she loved him and that night for the longest time she had ever know a kiss, no, that was the wrong word to use. Act of love, to go on for the brief reality time, she had felt that he loved her too. But as he stopped the love he stopped the kiss last. He stopped the bond between them and left her in a state of self-hatred. How could a pureblood wizard with extraordinary talents ever love a stupid Mudblood like her?

Never was the answer to her question and realisation hit her. She would rather be in danger than be here at the moment. Even being in close-proximity with him gave her security. But it only gave her a dream that could never be made solid. To have him holding her in his arms, loving her, caressing her, making love to her. It would never happen because of her. It would never happen because of her selfishness. She blinked her eyes shut and let the tears of pain and guilt wash down her face. She brought her hand to her face and wiped the tears from her cheek and chin as she got up from the bed and continued to pack things in her trunk.

It was about an hour later when a tawny owl came flying into the Snape residence. At full speed it slammed into the window that belonged to Severus Snape's chambers. The hurt man looked up to the window with a sombre expression on his face. An owl that dared disturb him when his feelings could be felt through miles of land must be brave, or a propose. Unwillingly he got up from his desk and preceded to the windowsill brushing the dark black, gold lined curtains back so he could open the window. He sat on the windowsill as it had been put into the outer wall of the house so the sill was quite deep. Enough for a man his size and stature to relax comfortably on it. As the owl hoped into the room it looked at Severus with a glare, as if to say 'get off your arse and got get her you stupid git'. He believed that the expression and attitude must show in the letter that had been written to him. But question was who sent it? Who would know WH- He stopped dead in his tracks. He knew who would know. The person who seemed to know everything in the world and had an odd taste for sweets, Albus Dumbledore.

As he finished untying the roll of parchment from the leg of the owl it gave him a bite on his finger.

"Ouch you bloody-" but he stopped. It gave him a look of read the letter before I do something worse.

Event though he would never take a threat from a bird seriously now at this present time and knowing who the bird belonged to he wasn't going to be all scowling and evil. He had learnt by now not to cross Dumbledore. Seeing how angry he got and that wasn't often at all. He knew why Voldemort feared him and no one else. A look from Albus Dumbledore and you're dead. As easy as that. No messing about with that old fool. So for opening the letter. But what is it going to say.

Fear from the one man in his life started to spread upon him. Seeping into his skin like an unwelcome toxin. He quickly dropped the letter and ran his hands clumsily up his arms to try and rid himself of the feeling. Unfortunately it still seemed to stay there. He should just get the letter open, read it, and then do whatever it says. Or don't do whatever it tells him not to do.

He gave up trying to ignore the constant pecks and nips the bird kept giving him and picked the letter up again but this time ripping off the seal as he did so to reveal a roll of parchment written by the Headmaster himself. He sighed deeply to himself as his eyes crossed to the end of the letter. Or more of a wise phrase was what he would call it. Or maybe a command could be another way of describing it. He gripped it tightly in his hand that was now crunched up into a fist. A wave of new emotions had begun to sweep across his entire body. He dropped the note on the floor and proceeded out of the room.

_Dear Severus,_

_My dear Professor, I know that of late I have asked you for help many a time, also to put yourself in grave danger for the sake of others. Now I have to ask you to put your feelings of hurt aside. I understand that you have been hurt badly but you must understand also that Miss Granger is also hurting too. She had been put into a situation that she has no knowledge of. She has prized herself, as you well know, of knowing everything of every situation she has been ever put in. She is scared of not being in control of her actions. It has begun to eat away at her and the one person she thought she could trust to help her through she believes has left her alone to wither away. She may be the brightest witch for a century to present herself but knowledge of ones feelings are a completely different set of rules as you know. Learning to understand herself at such a difficult time in her life will undoubtedly take its toll on her heart and on other people. What she needs now is a friend, someone to help her, comfort her, and love her. Not someone who is angry with a young woman for not knowing the truth about ones heart when they don't know the truth about it at all. All I am asking you to do is help her, guide her and most importantly, forgive her. She needs you and your forgiveness more than she needs her friends. Believe me when I say this, she has feelings for you. Don't quash them with you faade that you have been putting up for all these years. Take a chance on love one more time Severus. Don't give up on her. She needs you more than ever. And please give an old fool that loves his wish. I know you will do the right thing._

_Yours faithfully,_

_Albus Dumbledore_

_Headmaster of Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry._

_P.S._

_Presents like those dresses wont go a miss if you are trying to show a reason that she should have known you loved her earlier because well… I will stop being an interfering old fool._


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6 

Hermione placed the quill down next to the piece of parchment that bared an ink stained message upon. She looked down at the note and explanation for her leave of absence. All of the explaining she believed she had in her was down and written upon that letter. She sighed deeply as she dropped her gaze to the fireplace a few steps from her. She picked up her suitcase and was just about to enter her hand into the pot of floo powder hung up on the wall of the fireplace just as a voice came into her ears.

"Miss Granger, what exactly do you think you are doing with that hand?" he said in a surprisingly calm voice.

Her hand suspended in mid-pick up just floated back down to her side as she took a deep breath to prepare herself for the explosion that she undoubtedly knew was about to occur. She dropped her suitcase down next to her with a loud clank that seemed to echo so loudly around the black hollow hall. Sliding her left foot round she rotated herself so she was facing the man she loved. The supposed evil malicious Potions master whom had no feelings but hate and a thirst for blood. But she knew ever since that night she had touch his lips with hers that he was nothing of the sort and never could be. It would be the death of him if he even uttered a single curse against her. Yet she feared him, feared what he would say, and feared how he felt about her. But why should she fear that because she already knew the answer? He hated her more than anything because she had broken his heart and shattered his feelings into a million pieces.

"I…I…"

"You what Miss Granger?" he said as he advanced upon her. "You were about to go to the one place that you would undoubtedly be killed. The one place that everyone in the Order has tried to keep you away from. Going to go get yourself killed after the sacrifices that have been made by wizards and witches everywhere have made for you. The place that I have forced you to go to." He spoke ever so gently as he approached her.

The hatred gone from his body, his eyes clear from all the anger and rage that had proceeded to show it's self-that fateful day. She couldn't tell what she was seeing from this amazingly proud and righteous man. He seemed to be blaming himself for her incentive to leave. To go and die. But it wasn't his fault it had been hers and the blame she felt and knew still lie within her.

"You haven't forced me to go anywhere. If I were going anywhere then it would have most undoubtedly been from my own choice. I am not too young and immature to make decisions for my self and my well being. If I were to go anywhere then that would have been purely out of my own choice Professor." She said as she tried to reinstate her intelligence.

"Out of your own stupidity more like." He said as he brandished a scowl to her.

Sighing deeply in frustration he took the last step that closed all space between. Ignoring the frown she had put on her face after being proved wrong yet again he stuttered to find the words to explain to her how he felt. Without letting himself open to have a wave load of regret and embarrassment placed upon his head for the rest of his life. Or whatever piece of a life he believed he could salvage. He believed he had feelings for her and that old coot Albus had basically told him that he did indeed love her confirmed it, as it was apparently obvious to everyone but him that he had these feelings for her of all people. But how to tell her was the question at hand. And how to tell her while still keeping himself intact?

"Look, Miss Granger. I—"

"Shh." She said soothingly as she placed a finger to his lips to shut him up. "I don't want to hear anything you have to say right now Severus." She said with hope in her eyes and love refilling her heart.

He stopped as she placed her finger to his lips and sighed in happiness inside at her touch. He really did love her and he really did want her. But he had to tell her before she left and—She just called him Severus. No one had called him by his first name since, well, actually it was classed as last week because of the order and everything but no one apart from his colleagues or Dumbledore had called him Severus in at least twenty years. It shook him inside to think of it like that but it also gave him the tiniest scrap of hope. Maybe she felt the same towards him. Especially with the way that she had said his name. It had rolled of her tongue in one of the most sensual ways he could have ever heard in his life.

"All I want…" she began as she let her hair down from the bun she had put it into and shook her head. Giving her a slightly sexy appeal towards Severus.

"…Is to kiss the lips that my fingers are on. To feel the tingling sensation as my lips meet yours and the completeness I feel when being close to you." She said and smiled at him.

He knew then and from then that he really did love her and was attracted to her in more way than one.

"Now," she began in a less subtle tone. "Are you Mr Snape going to comply? Or will I have to tickle you into complying?" She said with a slight grin on her face.

He didn't need anymore of an invitation than that. Picking her up into his arms he bent his head down to hers and sighed as their lips met in unison. His hands reaching to her lower back to pull her closer to him. Her hands snaking to their 'oh so familiar' place around his neck. He could feel her moan come out of her mouth as she pulled him closer to him. Making their bodies shiver with excitement. Their lips moving rhythmically with the opening and shutting of their mouths. But she and he both wanted more of each other. She took the first leap and dived her tongue into his mouth feeling around inside but she didn't have to wait long to be rewarded with his investigating hers as well. He lifted her up and she automatically wrapped her legs around his waist, letting her hang comfortably on his hips as she could feel sensations from down below. She rose up a little with her body and moaned with pleasure at the feeling she had gotten from that little move. She wanted to continue but had no breath to do so. She unwillingly let go of her lovers tongue and their heads leaned against each others forehead. Their breathing rasp and uneven.

Hermione was smiling to herself on the inside and the outside. The possibility of him actually meaning what he did that night had never even run through her head before. The sparkling presence in her eyes could tell she was happy. For the first time in years the light had been filled inside her again. Before she had made her way to the Snape Manor she had been dreading it and ready to throw herself willingly to dementors. But Dumbledore had seen right through that seen of events and had made Professor Sna—No, Severus pick her up from the ministry. She hadn't been grateful in the slightest but as she began to notice his discomfort in the situation she thought that she would play up to the part as being the happy, shinning, know-it-all Gryffindor every one had come to know and hate. They all knew her for intelligence and for her bright ideas in saving the others in the famous trio. She had been through everything with them but had only felt close to them as family. No more than family, even though Ron had asked her out. She smiled to herself briefly; as soon as he had told her his feelings towards her she understood why he was so possessive and moody when he found out that Viktor had taken her to the Yule Ball. But that sense of being cared for and noticed by someone who didn't stuff their face full of food every chance they got, made her feel, accepted finally into the magical society. That feeling had meant everything to her. Fighting so had for so long to prove that just because she was a muggle-born didn't mean that she couldn't be equally as good at magic as the pure-bloods. But in doing her hard work and making extreme efforts she had proved that she was far better than any pure-blood in that school. She had been the only student for the past century to match the intellectual status of the dreaded Potions master. But with her professor's intellect can pain, came disownment. His parents had been death eaters and had tried to enfold him into the tradition of the Snape family being worthy followers of he-who-must-not-be-named. Let's say because of the way he was treated at school he searched for acceptance from people. To be accepted into the world of those who were there for a purpose, who were there for reason and strived to be heard. Voldemort had been one of those people. He had a plan to change the world and boy had it done just that.

She leaned back at him with her breathing steadied and smiled to him. She was happy and it looked like for the first time in Severus' life he was feeling complete and accepted. And by a Gryffindor no less. He smiled to himself inwardly; this is what life was supposed to be like, here with her, together. But realisation hit him with full force. If Voldemort found out about this he would know he was a traitor then they would be separated for sure and most likely they would die. He didn't want that for her never would he want hat for her. He would die before he let her feel an ounce of pain in her body.


End file.
